The physiological and behavioral maladaptations to stress have long-term detrimental health consequences with an enormous burden to society. One behavioral manifestation of stress is anxiety-related disorders, which affect approximately 40 million American adults with an estimated annual cost greater than 47 billion dollars. In particular, severe stress and psychological trauma is a necessary component for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an extreme maladaptive and debilitating psychiatric disorder affecting up to 40% of individuals over lifetime exposure to severe or traumatic stressors. Currently, there are no reliable biochemical or molecular diagnostic tools or targeted treatments for PTSD and other stress-related disorders. Further, current treatments are limited and have not yet been targeted based on the underlying pathophysiology.